Automatic cattle-feeding mechanism



7 29 H. HALVARSSON AUTOMATIC CATTLE FEEDING MECHANISH 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 17, 1926 I za/r/vfas rr oe/vf/r 1,622,443 March. 1927' H. HALVARSSON AUTOMATIC CATTLE FEEDING MECHANISM Q) Filed April 17. 1926 2 Sheets-SheetZ 1,622,443 PATENT OFFICE.

HALVARSSON, OF BJ'ALVERUD, SWEDEN:

AUTOMATIC CATTLE-FEEDING MECHANISM.

Application filed April 17,

,This invention relates to improvements in automatic cattle feeding mechanism and its object is, to provide such mechanism for installation injstables, barns and cattle houses whereby the cattle confined in the several stalls may be fed automatically thereby sav- 7 ing t-iineand labor of one or more attendants ordinarily assigned to this work. Simplicity ;,i n construction, efliciency in operation and durability are objectsof the invention.

fVith tl'ieforegoing and other objects in View the invention consists in the combination andarrangement of parts to be hereinafteivfully described, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part of this application and in which Fig, 1 is a front view of one embodiment of ,the present invention, "the support elements being partly broken away.

;-Fig. 2 "is an enlarged fragmentary sectional viewof the control mechanism for the feeddelivery mechanism. 7

,Fig. 3 is a side view of Fig. 2, enlarged.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional View taken on line 5- 5 of Fig. 4. n

Fig; 6 is a top plan view of Fig. 5.

, Like reference characters denote corresponding. parts throughout the several views.

The invention comprises a plurality of invertible feed containers normally supported in upright position in a stable, one container in each'stall, by a pair of connected slide bars openable,simultaneouslyin opposite directions by an actuating lever upon release of the same by a time latch, this release being effected automaticallyv at a predetermined hour of-the day. The reference numeral 1 denotes a post or support of any preferred type, a plurality of i said supports being provided in spaced rela:

tion throughoutithe stable, one 'of said sup- ,ports at one end of the stable pivotally, supporting a lever 2 upon the fulcrum 3 and all of the remaining supports 1 pivotally supporting links 4 upon pins 5, each of said links and said lever being pivotally connected to the top and bottom slide bars 6, 7 which are thus slidably associated with the several supports 1.

In each stall in the stable a pair of spaced uprights 8, 9 are provided in advance of the slide bars 6, 7 and are connected by a bar 10 upon which an invertible feed container 1926. Serial No. 102,771.

11 is pivotally supported, said feed container being substantially V-shaped with the larger end open, the" support bars 10 passing throught-he contracted closed ends so" that unless supported in upright position with the open ends uppermost said'feed containers will gravitate into inverted position which position. is denoted in Fig. 5' by the dotted lines. Thesaid'feed containers are disposed well above thelu'sual feed trough (not shown) commonto all stables so that in inverted position the larger ends of said containers will swingdown and immediately above said trough to discharge tlierei'ntothe contents of the containers. i'

The mouth of each feed container, comprising' the larger end thereof, is contracted slightly thus forming 'a'short side 12 which, in the upright position of the'containenj is disposed adjacent the slide'bars ,6," 7 and spring arms 13, 14 secured at their outer ends to the sides of said containers extend inwardly toward the slide bars, the'free 'or inner ends of said spring arms being curved toward each other and formedhvith elongated slots 15, the arm 13 of "each' container being disposed directly oppositeith e slide bar 6 and the arml t thereof directly opposite the slide bar7 in'the' upright posit-ion of the container. The top slide bar 6 is provided in each stall with an angular latch finger 16Q'the free end thereof being spaced outwardly from the bar for removable insertion in the elongated slot 15 of the s ring arm 13 and the slide 7 being provided with 'ai'similar latchfinger 17 for similarclisposal in the slot 15 of the spring arm 14, said latch fingers having their free ends extending in opposite directions. .The distance between the members of any pair of latch fingers, located in each stall, is such that'ivhen' the feed container is in upright position and thelinks/t in vertical position said latch tingerswill engage with the slotted portionsof the spring arms and maintain thefeed containers in said position.

v Referring again to the lever 2the forward or pointed end 18 thereof is supported non mally upon the bell-crank-lever19'fulcrunied in a slotted portion 20 of a housing 21 supported upon legs 22,said lever end 18 also being engaged by one end of a pressure spring 23 carried by a support 24* whereby said lever is yieldingly moved into the position shown dotted in Fig. 2 into contact with the stop pin 2 L. The inner end of the said bell-crank-lever is normally supported upon the threaded end of the alarm shaft of the clock 26 disposed in the said housing 21, said housing being provided with the hinged door 27 and with the transparent wall 28 through which the face of the said ClOCl may be observed.

The said bell-cranlclever is connected by a wire rod 29 to a fiat spring 30 secured at one end to the floor of the housing. In operation the alarm clock is set for a certain hour as usual. At that time the shaft 25 will rotate thus moving the belhcranlc-lever 19 laterally upon its fulcrum until it passes out of engagement with said shaft 25 when the springBO and rod 29 will move it in wardly and downwardly out of the path of the end 18 of the lever 2 permitting the spring 23 to drop said lever 2 into the posi tion shown dott'rl in Fig. This operation will cause the slide bars 6, 7 to move in relatively opposite directions disengaging the several. latch fingers 16, 17 from the spring arms 18. 1d when the feed containers will gravitate into inverted position emptying their contents into the feed trough.

Before the next automatic feeding the lever 2 must be rc-set manually. This operation will cause the side bars 6, 7 to move the members of each pair of latch fingers 1G, 17 toward each other. An attendant may now enter each stall and re-position the feed containers, the inwardly curved spring arms 13, 14- riding against the latch fingers will cause the same to seat in the perforations 15 and the mechanism is set for the next operation.

lVhat is claimed is 1. In automatic feeding mechanism, a pair of connected elements slidable in opposite directions, time controlled actuating mechanism for said elements, a plurality of invertible gravity actuated feed containers, and means releasably connecting said containers whereby they are held in upright position against the force of gravity in the normal position of said elements and automatically released when the normal position of said elements is disturbed.

2. In automatic feeding mechanism, a pair of spaced connected bars slidable in opposite directions, time controlled actuating mechanism for said bars, a plurality of invertible gravity actuated feed containers, slotted spring arms for said containers, and spaced latch fingers carried by said bars for supporting engagement with said spring arms when said bars are in normal position and for disengagement with said spring arms when said bars are in abnormal position.

3. In automatic feeding mechanism, a pair of spaced connected bars slidable in opposite directions simultaneously, time controlled actuated mechanism for said bars, a plurality of invertible gravity actuated feed containers, 'a pair of slotted spring arms for each container, one spring arm of each container being disposed directly opposite one member of each pair of bars, said spring arms being curved inwardly at their free ends, and a latch linger carried by each of said bars for supporting engagement with one of said slotted spring arms in the normal position of said bars and containers and for disengagement therewith in the abnormal position of said members.

4-. In automatic feeding mechanism, a pair of connected elements slidable in opposite directions, time controlled actuating mechanism for said elements, said actuating mechanism comprising a spring-pressed lever, an alarm clock and a bell-crankdever connecting said elements until rendered inoperative through the predetermined operation of said alarm cloclc; a plurality of invertible gravity actuated feed containers, and means releasably connecting said containers and said con nected elements whereby said containers are retained in upright position against the action of gravity in the normal position of said elements and automatically released when said normal position is disturbed.

5. In automatic feeding mechanism, a pair of spaced connected bars slidable in opposite directions simultaneously, time controlled actuating mechanism for said bars, a plurality of V-shaped invertible gravity actuated feed containers, the large open end of each container having one contracted side, a pair of slotted terminally curved spring arms for each container extending beyond the contracted side thereof, one spring arm of each container being disposed directly opposite one member of each pair of bars in the normal position of said members, latch fingers carried by said bars for supporting engagement with the slotted portions of said spring arms in the normal position of said bars and containers and for disengagement therewith when said normal position is disturbed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aiiixed my signature.

HALVAR HALVARSSON. 

